Sunday, March 19, 2006

The Best things in life are always...

I've not completed the title because I'm confused as to what follows.

Some of the world's greatest pop-music stars have chanted this phrase in their songs and struck gold . Janet Jackson, one-time queen of pop topped the Billboard chart in 1992 for "The Best things in life are free". Madonna incorporates these words in the lyrics of her song " It used to be my playground".

There has also been a movie and a book released by the same title. I've never seen or read these but the point is :

What are these best things in life?
Who decides that?
How are they " Free"?

Lets say "happiness" is one of the best things in life. Everybody wants to be happy. But how is it free? One has to sacrifice something in cash or kind to achieve it. There is no gain without pain. There has not been single Management- Labour dialogue without the HR Honcho convincing us with " There is no Free Lunch" concept. In fact,for most lesser privileged women, unconditional affection from your husband has always come at a cost - Dowry. Many newly weds have attained peace of mind only after accommodating their senile parents in costly old-age homes!

I recently travelled in one of the low-cost airlines that have flooded the Indian skies in recent years. As the fare did not include inflight food( and even water!), we chose to simply carry our empty tummies on air. However,as my ears were getting clogged due to the cabin pressure, I reached out to the perky,smart hostess for some cotton balls to which she curtly said that they don't serve cotton balls on the plane!

Serve cotton balls? Was it ever apart of their Menu? Its not like I'm asking for candy floss! If they don't have them on the plane, where else ? I might even pay for them but where do I get them?

Talk about best things in life and I cant even get a pair of cotton balls!

My ears are still clogged, my hearing imbalanced..but my mind is very clear!

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Madm,you know well that there is no free lunch. Then how come you want the statement"the best things ...free"to come true?
Nature throws sunlight,air,water fertileland,forest etc FREE ( only these are best things) The movement man meddles with them, a cost is created or manupulated. Lyrics of the pop only say "free" But that performance is for huge cost!
Madm,happiness is not a thing but an emotional feeling only. Human is endowed with cpacity to feel happy with or without things. Again it is you who decide whether you are happy or not.
Yes,there is no gain without pain ! For many,the entire gain(they think so) is only pain (felt later)
In the end, Madm, be aware that it is only commonsense,efforts in right direction coupled with adjustment with the sourrendings that will fetch real happiness, rest are tainted with costs and consequences.
Madm, when you choose a low cost airline, you reveal how low you are.
To maintain the fare low, airline has to stoop low by not even supplying cotton.
Coming to brass tack, when you propose to send your senile parents to a costly old age home?(after getting wedded soon ?)

Negative Creep said...

^^I suggest Rapidex English Speaking Course.

And well, sure, they're not free "free", but most of the important things in life have very little to do with money. Money is just a means, not an aim, which unfortunately, is how most of us look at it. Have you ever evaluated how much money you think you need according to the things you want, instead of just wanting as much of it as you can. I mean, my friends are all like, you heard what this IIT grad got as a starting figure, 30 lacs, and i'm like what the fuck is a single guy gonna do with 30 lacs a year. It's apalling how many people choose a job or a career on the basis of how much they'll make, not even giving a thought to what they wanna do. Sure, money's important, but it should never be the major factor in a decision like that. Forgive me for the digression, i'm free-associating and the question of careers is pretty high up on my mind right now.

Anyways, after all considerations, i have decided to rule in the favor of the prosecutor, the best things in life are NOT free. However, keep in mind, that most of them are almost free, and the only cost involved is in facilitating the experiencing of above-said things and not as a direct cost itself.

Haha, i'm so lame. My point is, it depends on what you consider important in life. To me, there's nothing better than chilling with your friends, good music, good friends, good food and you're set. It's not free, but you don't have to break your balls for it either.

P.S: Anon, that comment was a joke right? RIGHT?

Anonymous said...

Vaat is rong mit this sparring..?
vaat is rong?
vaat is rong mit yu?
vaat is rong mit mee?

Und yu kan quote me.

Go to the Water Closet.. Go to it.

Nrogara

Anonymous said...

I, for one, believe that the best things in life are free.

Open Source is life to me. (It is preciouss to me)

And it is free :D

Why do I even care about Lunch and Happiness and Marriage!